Wheaton bridge repairs will cost less than anticipated

The price of replacing an aging bridge that carries Wesley Street over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Wheaton could be far less than originally expected.

Reconstructing the Wesley/Manchester bridge has been on Wheaton's to-do list for years. State officials have said the bridge has a sufficiency rating of four out of a maximum possible score of 100.

But one of the biggest obstacles has been the project's price - roughly $18 million, according to estimates.

Then last week, the Illinois Department of Transportation opened bids for the bridge project. Engineers initially estimated it would cost $15.8 million; the lowest bidder said the job would cost $9.3 million.

While it's up to the Illinois Department of Transportation to determine if the lowest bidder will be awarded the contract, the $6.5 million price difference has Wheaton officials confident they have plenty of money to pay for the work.

"Certainly, our timing was good," City Manager Don Rose said. "We probably should have been out to bid a couple of years ago, but for a variety of reasons we weren't. What a difference a few years has made in the bidding climate and the additional money we got."

It's estimated Wheaton will have to contribute about $1 million for the project. The rest of the money is coming from other sources.

Both Union Pacific and DuPage County agreed to contribute a combined $1.55 million. The Illinois Commerce Commission agreed to set aside roughly $9.7 million for the work. Another $6 million in federal grant money was secured when the city approved an intergovernmental agreement with IDOT.

With funding in place and bids being reviewed, officials are optimistic work will start in the fall with planned improvements to the nearby Illinois Prairie Path structure that goes over Wesley and Front streets. The height of that pedestrian bridge will be increased.

Work on the roadway bridge is expected to start in the spring. When finished by the end of 2010, the bridge will be wider and higher than the existing structure. It also will be strong enough for fire trucks, public works vehicles and school buses.

While the existing bridge was placed over the tracks in 1917, it was constructed in 1877 as part of a larger crossing in Iowa before being moved to its present location.